Football ‘improves strength’ of prostate cancer patients

20 June 2014

Recreational football improve the strength of prostate cancer patients, reduce body image issues and improve motivation, according to a new study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.

Julie Midtgaard, co-author of the research, said: “This is the first study of its kind in the world, and the results clearly show the potential of recreational football in the rehabilitation of prostate cancer patients. Just 12 weeks of football training resulted in the men regaining control and developing a unique exchange of feelings and recognition centered around the sport.”

After the three month programme, the participants muscle mass had increased by half a kilo, despite them undergoing hormone treatment contributing to a 15 per cent decrease. The men also displayed an eight per cent improvement in the stand-sit test.

Professor Peter Krustrup said the training sessions were high-intensity, with an average heart rate of 85 per cent of the participants’ maximum heart rate.

Ms Midtgaard added: “The study indicates that men with prostate cancer benefit greatly from recreational football, both physically and mentally.”

She said the next step of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of football in a more natural setting.